A Florida police officer who found a man dead during a welfare check stole his home and identity and spent years renovating the property for himself, authorities said.
Brian Louis Sguros, 35, an officer with the Lauderhill Police Department near Miami, appeared in court Wednesday on charges including criminal use of a deceased person’s identification.
Sguros was part of a team sent to check on Lauderhill resident Dennis West in July 2022 after the department received a call from a concerned neighbor, according to a news release from the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO). West was found dead at the home of natural causes.
Within weeks, the officer embarked on what BSO described as “an elaborate plan to take control of the individual’s home” by involving himself in West’s post-death affairs.
“Sguros presented himself to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office as a friend of West, although there was no indication that he knew West, and stated that West had no living family, which was untrue,” the press release states.
“The investigation also revealed that Sguros paid taxes and utilities on the home on West’s behalf and used West’s identification to make it appear that West was still alive so that the Town of Lauderhill would issue a permit to facilitate the repairs.”
A 21-page arrest affidavit alleges that Sguros forged West’s signature on several documents and that between August 2022 and February 2025, he spent more than $210,000 of his own money to improve the property, including replacing doors and windows in 2024.
The affidavit says Sguros, in affidavits and civil pleadings, claimed he took possession of the property and worked there “because it was dangerous and he wanted to stop criminal activity and people from squatting,” NBC Miami reported.
During this time, Sguros allegedly used law enforcement databases to improperly access West’s driver’s license record, date of birth, Social Security number and other personal information.
Then, in February 2025, he and his wife filed a claim with the Broward property appraiser’s office seeking to establish a property claim, the affidavit states.
A neighbor told WSVN TV that Sguros spoke to him often and told him he was renovating the property with plans to rent it out on Airbnb. She said Sguros told her that West was his friend and that he had given her the property before he died.
The alleged scam came to light in August 2025 when a real estate company that legally purchased the property from West’s heirs sent an employee to take possession and met with Sguros, NBC reported.
Sguros returned the keys, but filed a civil suit against the real estate company demanding compensation for the money he invested in the renovations, the news outlet said.
The officer was placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest Tuesday following a months-long investigation by BSO detectives. He appeared in Fort Lauderdale court Wednesday on charges of official misconduct and criminal use of a deceased person’s identification, and was released on $25,000 bail.
Sguros could not be reached for comment, and it is unclear whether he is represented by an attorney.
Gn headline
